Apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes



July 4, 1961 D. w. MOLINS APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Filed June 17, 1958 NVENTOK ATTORNE y 2,990,831 APPARATUS FOR MAKING MOUTHPIECE L CIGARETTES Desmond Walter Molins, London, England, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed June 17, 1958, Ser. No. 742,614 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 28, 1957 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-94) r This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, in which groups each consisting of a stub and at least one cigarette length (e. g. two cigarette lengths with a double-length stub between them) arranged end to end, are fed endwise prior to having adhesive-coated uniting bands applied to the component parts of the groups in order to unite the said parts. i

According to the present invention there is provided, in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means for forming groups each consisting of a stub and at least one cigarette length arranged end to end (eg. two cigarette lengths with a stub between them), comprising conveyor means to feed in endwise succession the. component parts of a group, timing means operative art a predetermined time to retard the endwise movement of the leading component for a predetermined period of time such as to enable -a further component to be conveyed into correct position behind the said leading component, and then to release the latter for further endwise movement.

The said timing means may comprise a suction device having control means operative in timed relationship with the feeding of the said further component or components to cause the leading component to be held by suction and then released. Where the components are conveyed on a conveyor band, the suction device may be arranged to pull the said leading component clear of the band.

Further according to the invention there is provided, in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means for ormin oups e h consisting o w cigarette l n s with a stub between them, comprising a conveyor to feed the said cigarette lengths endwise with spaces between their ends, means to insert a stub into the space behind eyery second cigarette length, and braking means (eg. a suction device) to brake the forward movement of the cigarette length preceding a stub in order to close the gaps between the said stub and the cigarette lengths preceding and following it, said braking means heingoperartive to brake the forward movement of the said cigarette length for a predetermined period of time and then release it, whereby the said stub can be fed forwardly by the said conveyor in correct or approximately correct timed relationship with other parts of the apparatus irrespective of whether cigarette lengths are present. Thus if the supply of cigarette lengths should fail for any reason .(for example where they come from the cuneif of a cigarette-making machine, may at times stop momn th tuh wi l be anrox ma correctly t me and will thus be able to register with the uniting bands which can thus be wrapped around them and thereby disposed of in a convenient way. i v

Further according to the invention there is provided apparatus for feeding cigarettes on a moving conveyor (eg. for assembly with stubs) and regulating their feed, comprising a suction device located adjacent the path of the cigarettes and having control means operative at predetermined times to cause the suction device to hold a cigarette away from the conveyor, and thus prevent movement of the cigarette by the conveyor, tor a predetermined time and then release it.

Apparatus according to the invention will now be denited States Patent Patented July 4, 1961 scribed by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation, and

FIGURE 2 is an end View taken on the line I I-l1, FIGURE 1.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, an endless conveyor band 1 is arranged to receive cigarette lengths such as C C from the cut-01f of a continuous rod cigarette-making machine. The band 1 runs at a suitable speed such that the cigarette lengths are spaced apart endwise. upon it.

Alongside the conveyor band 1 is located stub-feeding means for feeding a donble-length stub S into the space behind every second cigarette. length. The stub-(feeding means, which may be similar to that described and shown in the copend-ing United States application Serial No. 559,946 filed January 18, 1956 (Patent No. 2,912,987, dated November 17, 1959), comprises a rotatable disc 2 mounted on a shaftii, the disc 2 having a fiat radial sur face which engages a stub once during each revolution of the disc and feeds it lengthwise through an arcuate path on to theconveyor 1.

Also located alongside the conveyor band 1 is-means for engaging a cigarette length C behind a stub which has been fed on to the band, and pushing that cigarette length forwardly so as to cause end to-end abutmentbe; tween the two cigarette lengths C, and C and the intermediate stub S. This arrangement includes an endless chain 4 (indicated by dot and-dash lines) passes about sprockets 5 and 6,and which lugs or push ers 7 one of which engages the rear enld face of a cigarente length C and moves along above the band, at the saine speed as the latter. This arrangement of lugs or pushers carried by a chainpassing around a pair of sprockets is similar to that described and illustrated in the patent referred to above. The sprocket Sis coaxial and'rotates with the disc 2. i l V The sprocket 6 is mounted on a shaft 70 which is 10; tated, through gears 8 and 9, by 'a drive'sharfit 10'] i At a suitable distance ahead of the stub-feeding means a suction chamber 11 is mounted directly over the cenveyor band 1, being fixed on a bracket 111 secured to a fixed part 112 of the machine. The suct-ionchaniber is provided with a number of suction ports 12 which extend from the interior of the chamber to an external surface 13 which is a short distance, for example V2 mm, above the uppermost pant of the cylindrical surface of a cigarette length passing beneath it on the band 1.

' The suction chamber 11 has an opening 14 connected to one end of a pipe 15, whose other end communicates with a conduit 16 formed in a block 17. A further conduit 18in the block 17 communicates with .a further pipe 19 which is connected m a suitable source of suction q w v i A carbon disc 20 provided with an arcuate groove or slot 21'is rotatably mounted in sliding contact with'the block 17 in such a way that the arcuate groove 21 can (at suitable angular positions of the disc 20) register with the open ends of both theconduits 16 and 18, as shown in the drawing. The disc 20 has four holes 22 intowhich extend heads 23 of four studs 24 screwed into corresponding holes in a metal disc 25. The disc 25 is formed as an annular flange on a sleeve '26 which is keyed or otherwise secured on the shaft 10 for rotation therewith. Thus the 9 dis 29' aused y n a m n a t e ads 23 of the studs 24 in the holes 22, to rotate with the shaft 10.

The block 17 is slidably mounted on two fixed posts 170, and is spring-urged against the disc 20 by compression springs 171 engaging the block 17 and collars 172, and the disc 25 is held against movement along the shaft by a collar 27. Thus the car-hon disc 20 is urged into close sliding contact with the fixed block 17.

It will be seen that as the shaft rotates and the carbon disc rotates with it, the holes or conduits 16 and 18 in the face of the block 17 are periodically brought into communication with each other by way of the arcuate groove 21. Whenever this occurs, suction is exerted through the ports 12, and the suction is cut 011 as soon as one of the holes 16 and 18 is again covered by the carbon disc.

Since the shaft 10 drives the shaft 7 as well as rotating the carbon disc 20, the operation of the suction is effected in timed relationship with that of the stub feeding means, so that suction is exerted for a short period at a suitable time after each stub has been fed on to the band 1. In the example shown, the two holes 16 and 18 are 30 apart and the arcuate groove 21 extends for 90 around the carbon disc, and accordingly the two holes are in communication with each other for 60 or onesixth of a revolution of the disc.

In operation, cigarette lengths such as C and C are fed along endwise by the band 1, a stub S being inserted behind every second cigarette length such as C As the cigarette length C comes beneath the suction head 11, the arcuate groove 21 in the carbon disc 20 exposes both the holes 16 and 18 and suction is therefore exerted on the cigarette length C which is sucked up from the band 1 and held against the suction head, being thus arrested and held against endwise movement.

The stub S continues to move forward on the band 1 until it is end to end with the cigarette length C The cigarette length C also continues to be carried forward by the band 1 until it abuts the stub S.

Then, while the leading cigarette length C is still held by the suction head 11, the lug 7, moving at the same speed as the band 1. overtakes the cigarette length C and pushes it, and thereby the stub S and cigarette length 0,, forwardly, the length C sliding along the surface 13 against the braking eifect of the suction.

Shortly after this the suction is cut 01f, the cigarette length C drops onto the conveyor band 1, and the whole abutted group proceeds forwardly in correct timed relationship with the other parts of the apparatus, in particular with those parts which cause a uniting band to be wrapped around and secured to the group in order to unite it.

One advantage of the present arrangement is that even if at some time during the operation of the machine the supply of cigarette lengths should fail (for example when thev issue from the cut-off of a cigarette-making machine. which may be stopped momentarily) the stubs will still be so located in relation to the mechanism for applying the uniting bands that the bands will be wrapped around the stubs. It will be appreciated that in the absence of a cigarette length immediately in front of a stub. there will be nothing to retard the stub (since the suction will he cut off before the stub comes beneath any of the suction ports) and in consequence the stub will be located a little ahead of its correct position relatively to the uniting band which is to be applied to it. Its position will nevertheless be approximately correct in the sense that it will be able to engage the uniting band, which will accordingly be wrapped around it. This has the advantage of disposing of the gummed uniting band, which might otherwise be troublesome to dispose of.

Thus the present arrangement, by providing a retarding means for the leading cigarette length which operates only intermittently and for predetermined intervals of time, cannot act to retard the stub or prevent it being fed forwardly in approximately its correct position.

The arrangement described may be used in apparatus in which the groups of cigarettes and stubs, after being abutted as described, are deflected sideways into a passage where they are caused to roll "between two opposed surfaces and where due to the rolling action a uniting band is wrapped around the stub and the adjacent end portions of the two cigarette lengths of each group.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means for forming groups each consisting of components which include a stub and at least one cigarette length arranged end to end, comprising conveyor means to feed in endwise succession the components of a group, timing means operative at a predetermined time to retard the leading one of said components for a predetermined period of time such as to enable a further component to be conveyed into correct position behind the said leading component, and then to release the latter for further endwise movement, the said timing means comprising a suction device having control means operative in timed relationship with the feeding of the said further component to cause the leading component to be held by suction and then released, said control means including means to cut off the suction before the said further component comes within the range of action of the suction device.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suction device is spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the diameter of said components to pull the said leading component clear of the conveyor means.

3. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means for forming groups each consisting of two cigarette lengths with a stub between them, comprising a conveyor arranged to move continuously to feed the said cigarette lengths endwise with spaces between their ends, means to insert a stub into the space on the conveyor behind every second cigarette length, and a suction device to brake the forward movement of the cigarette length preceding a stub in order to effect endwise abutment of the said stub and the cigarette lengths immediately preceding and following it, said suction device being operative to brake the movement of the said preceding cigarette length by said conveyor for a predetermined period of time and then release it, and control means to cut off suction from the suction device at the end of said predetermined period of time and before the said stub conveyed on said conveyor comes within the range of action of the said suction device, whereby the said stub can be fed forwardly by the said conveyor in correct or approximately correct timed relationship with other parts of the apparatus irrespective of whether cigarette lengths are present.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,508 Gwinn May 24, 1938 2,156,600 Molins May 2, 1939 2,798,495 Molins July 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 343,770 Germany Nov. 8, 1921 425,989 Great Britain Mar. 21, 1935 462,748 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1937 1,145,756 France v May 13, 1957 

